How I Work:
Kristina Killgrove

Kristina Killgrove is a biological anthropologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of West Florida, applies her understanding of the human skeleton to answer questions about diet, disease, and interaction among past populations, like the ancient Romans and Medieval Germans. She also contributes to Forbes and Mental Floss. Here is how she works!

1. Where did you graduate? What is your position?

I earned my PhD in anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and also earned an MA in classical archaeology there. My BA was in Latin at the University of Virginia. Currently, I am an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of West Florida.

2. What apps and software do you use often? Why?

Aside from the normal suite of word processing, spreadsheet, statistics, and slide programs, I use a lot of software related to the 3D scanning and printing I do. My favorite program is MeshMixer, which is free software that helps me modify 3D scans of human bones and artifacts.

3. Do you prefer a tidy environment or a messy one? How do you organize your home and work desks? Do you keep any souvenirs?

I am mostly tidy — my desks and tables are usually clear, but my secret is that my desk drawers are really messy and disorganized! I have lots of knick-knacks at work — fake skulls that are mostly gifts from family, friends, and students.

4. What is your current mobile device, computer setup, and OS? Why?

I’ve got an Android phone and a Mac laptop. I’m a recent convert to Mac after some bad experiences with slow PCs that crashed all the time and got viruses.

5. Do you play games? If so, which games do you play on mobile / computer/gaming devices?

I’m a fan of casual games. I play a lot of Candy Crush on my phone when waiting for my two little girls to fall asleep at night.

6. Is there any device you can’t live without, besides your cellphone and computer?

Does an umbrella count as a device? Where I live (Pensacola, FL) is the second rainiest city in the U.S. (we average 65 inches of rain per year), and you never know when it will start pouring. I always have at least one umbrella with me at all times!

7. What sports or daily activities do you do better than most people?

For me, a daily activity is writing — I write lectures for the courses I teach, public talks, research papers, and lots of blog posts at Forbes. At this point, I think I write better than most people.

8. Are you an introvert, or an extravert?

Definitely an introvert. But I can pretend to be an extrovert when I need to talk to large groups of people.

9. What time do you sleep and how long on average?

Many days, I fall asleep when I’m putting my kids to bed! But I suppose I’m normally in bed by 11pm and am up by 6am.

10. Tea or coffee? To keep you awake or as a pleasure?

I like both, but I usually reach for coffee. It’s a pleasure to have a hot cup of coffee in the morning before everyone else in my house wakes up.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to our readers?

Interested readers can find the latest news on skeletons and archaeology on my Forbes site here or by liking my Facebook page, Powered by Osteons.